Silent Princess
by Split Infinitive
Summary: Awaiting Calamity Ganon was just the beginning. Princess Zelda tries to find out why her appointed knight Link is so quiet while he, in turn, works with her to secure a rare piece of ancient technology. The young knight, though, seems to have a game of his own in play. A short Breath of the Wild prequel.
1. In the Inn

**Silent Princess**

 **1 – In the Inn**

Every torch in the inn flickered in concert, the swirl of cold air beyond dragging the flames towards the direction of the newly opened door. All eyes glanced up, as they always did when someone new entered, to consider the latest patrons to step into the warm confines of Frontier Inn.

They came in a pair these particular travellers – one small and cloaked, her body clearly feminine, and the other a young man with piercing eyes, the edge of a shield and the hilt of a sword peeking out from behind his shoulders. Both were Hylians.

Nothing out of the ordinary, then. Not even the weapons. People didn't wander Hyrule without protection, not now with the shadow of the Calamity looming. Disinterest overcame the other customers and they all looked away.

All except innkeeper Boyden. He slowly polished a glass with a rag and smiled at the newcomers. "What can I get you?"

The young man looked around the inn. A glance here, a glance there, all deliberate and methodical. All with purpose.

Boyden didn't like that. But if these two were thieves that had come to case his joint, they were making it far too obvious. Custom was custom. He kept his smile fixed in place.

The girl's eyes – blue? No, _green_ \- blinked in surprise from within her hood.

Boyden's smile widened. "Yes, I'm a Zora," he said. "I'm just filling in for a friend of mine. _Though,_ that being said, I _have_ installed a blissful water bed upstairs." He shrugged. "Zora tech. You could both try it for, say, eighty rupees?"

The girl strode past the rickety tables and the straining chairs filled with lounging people until she came to a stop at the varnished wooden counter. Her partner followed more slowly, still apparently examining every inch of the room.

"No, thank you," she said. Her voice was a notch quieter than the atypical murmur of noise that clogged the air of Frontier Inn. "Just a pair of regular beds, please."

Boyden glanced from the girl to her companion. He sat the glass down on the counter. It sparkled with cleanliness, torchlight catching the rim with molten light. "Separate beds…?"

The young man now turned to speak. "My lady here," he said, eyes fixed on the Zora. "Her head. It aches."

"Ah."

"And," said the girl quickly. "If we may…some bread? Just bread. Please."

"You sure?" Boyden replied. He flashed his most winning smile. "We have a full three-course meal on offer. Finest in Tabantha. Two hundred rupees. Bargain."

A thin smile appeared from within the shadow of her hood. "Thank you, but no," she said. "We've had a long journey, and I am disinclined to wait any longer for some well-earned rest."

Boyden nodded slowly. "That's some mighty high-born way of speaking there," he said.

The girl froze. Cutlery and plates met in song behind her. Someone laughed. One man with a long, thin pipe looked up from his haze of smoke. He was the only one that had eyes on the bar.

The girl's companion stepped up. Boyden saw that the boy was even younger than he'd first imagined. And yet, something about the way he carried himself made the Zora tense up.

"My lady has spoken," the boy said as he placed a gloved hand on the rough wooden surface of the counter. Boyden caught a glimpse of pale blue fabric under the sleeve of his cloak. "Please. Allow her to retire for the night."

The Zora swallowed. The words were like a coiled threat coated in honey. "Of course," he said, tone neutral, and reached under the counter to pull out a key. It clinked softly on a large iron ring. He placed it on the wood and pushed it over to the girl. "Upstairs. Your room is the first one on the right."

The girl nodded her thanks. She took the key, and slowly ascended a spiralling staircase, her every step creaking the wood beneath her boots.

Boyden and the boy watched her go until she slipped out of sight. That's when the Hylian turned to him. The Zora froze as the boy leaned in close – so much so that only the innkeeper could hear his voice and observe his face.

"Three course meal?" said the Hylian.

Boyden's reply was drawn out and long. "Y-e-s."

"Seriously?"

Boyden nodded. "Three courses. Freshly cooked."

The boy's grim expression slowly morphed into a wide, bright smile.

"Make it six," said the boy. "And I'll take it. The other thing."

Boyden blinked rapidly. "What?"

"The blissful water bed." He looked away in thought for a moment. "Wait." Another pause. " _Nine_ course meal."

"Nine?!" Boyden almost yelped.

"Six hundred and eighty rupees, am I right?" The Hylian began rummaging through his belt.

Boyden nodded. The change in the boy's demeanour had been so sudden that he found himself lost for words.

"Here," the Hylian replied, dropping three gold rupees rattling onto the counter. "Keep the change."

Boyden's eyes widened. "That's…" he said. "That's very generous of you." His hand quickly closed around the gold. "Same for the lady…?"

The boy paused, as though surprised. "Good point," he said. "Fire."

"Huh?"

"A cookfire in my room," the boy explained. "I take the ingredients and make the meal myself…" He leaned in even closer, serious once more, and tapped his nose. "No one else need know…"

"I can't let you do that," said Boyden. "Safety issues."

The boy blinked. For a moment he looked like he would reach for his sword. But then he relaxed. "Right."

Boyden felt the tension seep out from his own body as well. "Mmm-hmm."

And then the Hylian's expression turned cold for a long moment. "Ingredients. Please."

Boyden pursed his lips. He knew when someone was putting it on. "I'm afraid not," he replied firmly. "Need to keep what I've got. Supplies have been hard to come by."

The Hylian started looking around again. Boyden frowned. _Is he expecting food to drop out of the sky in a treasure chest or something…?_

The innkeeper pressed on. "No one wants to deliver, y'see, thanks to the Bokoblins that have set up camp nearby."

The boy's attention snapped back to him. "Bokoblins…?"

"Yeah," Boyden replied. He felt a sense of unease begin to itch under his skin. Guilt tugged at his heart, like he'd given away a secret. "It's no bother. They're just minding their own business. I'm sure they'll move off whe – hey!"

But the boy had already left.

And a good five minutes later he returned, a slight flush to his face. He placed his palms flat on the wooden surface, then leaned in close again and spoke in a harsh whisper.

"You don't have a Bokoblin problem anymore."

Boyden swallowed again. His heart thudded. "R-i-i-g-h-t." Then he cleared his throat. "You really didn't have to-"

"I did," the boy insisted. "For my lady." He smiled, and his face softened instantly. "To keep her safe."

Boyden sighed. "Very sweet," he said in a blank voice before he procured a gold key from under the counter. "Blissful water bed. Upstairs. End of the corridor."

The boy waited, anticipation writ large in every inch of his face.

Boyden got it. "And your food will be ready within an hour. _We_ will cook it."

The boy shrugged, then smiled again. "Fair enough," he said, his weapons chiming as he made to move off – then stopped. "Wait," he said. "You were right."

"I was?"

The boy nodded. "Make sure my lady gets some of that food, too."

"Of course. I'll let her know you –"

"No."

Boyden's head was beginning to hurt. "Then…?"

The boy shrugged again. "Tell her…" He ran a hand through his black hair. "Tell her _you_ gave it." A single, short nod. "On the house."

Boyden nodded himself. This was the strangest couple he'd ever met. And if a story about him giving food away ever got out, he'd be ruined. But the boy was paying, so who was he to complain…?

The Hylian drew himself back to his full height and, as he did so, a cloak of solemnity seemed to wrap itself around him like magic. With one last sweep of the inn, the boy nodded at Boyden. "Sir."

He then moved off up the stairs. No one noticed, save the man with the pipe.

Boyden's eyes followed the boy as he ascended. _Now that's someone who wears a thousand faces. Which one,_ he wondered, _is the real him…?_

* * *

"Room at the end of the corridor," Princess Zelda repeated. She had her ear to her room's door as her knight stood beyond. "I understand."

His muffled voice came again. She listened.

"Yes, I _realise_ that," she said with only the slightest edge of irritation. "You're not too far away. Thank you, Link." A knot of fear, the one that had cast a shadow long over her heart, prompted her to add more. "Be ever vigilant – we know not what form the coming Calamity will take."

She listened to his footsteps recede, then pressed her back against the wood of the door and sighed. A lantern thick with the accumulation of almost-solidified oil cast the room in a dim light. Everything here seemed to be made of wood – the door, the walls and the small, hard bed. A far cry from the marble, stone and silk she was used to.

Princess Zelda had no care for comfort, though.

"Preposterous," she said out loud. "Whatever was I thinking?"

 _Rather, whatever was Impa thinking?_ It was the Sheikah who had sent them along on this undertaking – _that,_ Zelda had no issue with. But Impa had insisted on secrecy, had concocted the plan that they - Zelda and her appointed knight – travel under the pretence of being a married couple.

The princess knew well _why_ there was such a need for subterfuge. Her recent trip to the Gerudo had seen her come under attack by the vicious Yiga Clan. Both her father and Impa had proclaimed that if she _had_ to travel it would be in secret.

Zelda's cheeks puffed out. "Secret!" she said. "Not with my accent! And what married couple ask for separate beds in an inn?"

 _Not that I desire we share a bed,_ she thought quickly. _No. Certainly not._

She quickly snatched up the Sheikah Slate hidden under her cloak and ignored the sudden rush of warmth that had shot to her cheeks. The ancient tech hummed, its light spilling out as she activated it.

Text and images scrolled down the screen as the Hyrule Compendium opened up on the entry on the Silent Princess. Zelda gazed at the petals of blue encased in snowy white. It was that precise shade of blue that the princess had chosen as the mark of the Champions.

The thumping sound of running feet made her look up. A child's happy squeal followed. Zelda had hoped that this inn would, at the very least, provide some shelter by which she could snatch some sleep. She sighed. Judging from the muffled noise, the guests here were on the rowdy side.

Her gaze dropped down to the ancient device again. A rumour had drifted through the stuffy corridors of Hyrule Castle, one carried on the tide of merchants and traders that visited Castle Town often. A new breed of Silent Princess had appeared, they said; a single one, in fact, with huge petals and – most curiously of all – a stem that combined both organic material and ancient tech. Not one person had yet been able to uproot one.

Zelda grew excited just _thinking_ about it. She _had_ to find out more. To her surprise, both her father and Impa had agreed – they were open to any advantage they could find against the coming Calamity.

Or so they said. The princess suspected that her father at least had a slightly different motive in allowing her to indulge in her scholarly pursuits. Ever since the Yiga Clan's attempt on her life, he hadn't yet once insisted that she focus on unlocking her sealing power.

Zelda knew it wouldn't last. And so here they were in Tabantha, not too far from the plains at the foot of Rito Village where this mysterious new flower had allegedly appeared, the princess clad in a dark, hooded cloak while Link's hair was now black from a liberal use of some Hateno dye.

 _Link._

Zelda's grip on the Sheikah Slate slackened as her mind began to drift. She looked up from the screen.

 _What is he doing, I wonder?_

Zelda didn't _want_ to wonder, but ever since Link had rescued her from the Yiga she found her young chosen knight intruding in on her thoughts, often at the most inopportune moments.

His actions had stoked the fires of her admiration for him. She just needed to latch those feelings onto something of…well, _substance._ And so Zelda had taken it upon herself to draw her chosen knight out from his shell.

She remembered being in the castle gardens just a short while before they'd embarked on this journey. Zelda had watched Link as he had sat eating. Her eyes followed his hand go from the plate to his mouth, then again from the plate to his mouth, again and again.

And _again._

"You're partial to your food," she had said. "Aren't you?"

Link looked up, hand frozen mid-way between plate and mouth, a slight flush to his face.

"No, no, no no!" Zelda said quickly. She smiled, not wanting him to feel uncomfortable, no matter his lack of courtly manners. "Don't mind me. Please. Carry on."

Link set his plate aside instead. Zelda gazed at him. He was doing his best to look as dignified as possible.

"You…" she started.

His throat bobbed, waiting. The scent of the garden's myriad flowers of blushing red and violent blue wafted over to them.

"You…" Her voice trailed away again.

"Yes, princess?"

Zelda blinked, so stunned that she almost gasped. _So he_ _ **can**_ _speak!_

That had been the first time the princess had truly heard his voice. She liked it. She'd expected something gruff, but his was a quiet voice, one that put her at ease. Put everyone at ease, she imagined.

It took a moment for her to find her own voice again. "You have –" Zelda cleared her throat, and gestured with her hand. "On your chin."

Link's hand shot to the spot in question, wiping away the grain of rice that had been hanging unceremoniously from there. He looked at her with a surprisingly shy glance, and that moment of vulnerability gave her the courage to press on.

"I hope," she said, "Some of my _forwardness_ can brush of on you. And I, in turn, can learn something of the true meaning of composure from you."

Zelda saw him react to that. A slight pinch of the skin around his eyes. Clearly she'd struck on some truth.

"Is…" she began, curling her legs beneath her for comfort. "Is that why you're so quiet…? You're…you're trying to teach me?"

Link shook his head. "Not… _you,_ exactly" he said. "Everyone, I suppose. Outbursts of emotion. They seem to scare people."

Zelda listened, transfixed by his voice again. Quiet, calm, if a little halting. It was _nice._

And while she wasn't quite convinced by his actual words – perhaps it was true for angry outbursts, but not for _every_ emotion – she was eager to find out more. She gave him an encouraging smile.

Link sighed, clearly getting the hint. And then it had all spilled out.

"Well," he said. "We're in troubled times. And I'm the Chosen One." He shrugged as though that were a mere trifle. "So everyone watches me. Like – like a cat watches a mouse hole."

"Does that bother you?"

"Not really, my lady."

"Don't call me that," she said, despite being secretly, girlishly pleased that he had.

"Yes, princess."

Zelda sighed. "Everybody's eyes are on you, you said…"

"I don't mind it," he went on. "Being the Chosen One gives me a chance. I can show people – not just you; everyone – that we _can_ keep a cool head when things look bad." His ran his fingers through his hair. "People don't need fancy speeches. They want actions, not words."

He paused for a moment. This was clearly difficult for him.

"I can't show any weakness," he finally went on in a voice that made Zelda's heart squeeze. "If the Chosen One falters, then the people of Hyrule will unravel."

Awe had silenced Zelda after that. She had just stared, squinting under the sharp sunlight. No one should bear that big a burden – and not one so obviously self-imposed either.

She'd been wrong about him. She'd thought him a gifted knight who merely followed her father's commands without any comment. Link was so much more than that. Something had deepened in Zelda's heart just then, though at the time she had paid it little heed.

Determination had surged within her instead. She wanted to find out more, wanted to know what else swam beneath Link's calm waters…

The thoughts chased the princess back to the present moment. Her room in the inn came back into focus. She stowed the Sheikah Slate away and, once again, she wondered exactly what her noble knight was doing right at that moment.

Training probably. Or meditating.

 _Do knights meditate?_

Whatever it was, Zelda knew he was applying himself to it with his usual diligence and unwavering focu-

Zelda frowned. Her ears pricked up.

Was that…the sound of someone bouncing…?

And that laugh…it sounded like…but it couldn't possibly –

Princess Zelda spun around, opened the door, marched to the end of the corridor, streaming past the torches burning in their sconces, and raised her hand to Link's door. She hesitated. There it was again.

Bouncing.

Laughing.

Merriment.

Far too much merriment.

She rapped hard on the wood. The noises died instantly. There was a long pause, and then the door opened.

Link stood there, fully attired in his Champions tunic, his expression, as ever, deathly serious. "My lady…?"

"I…" Zelda started. "Were you…" Her eyes fluttered as her mind struggled to provide her tongue with ammunition. She rose on her toes to see beyond him. "Are you…quite alright…?"

"Perfectly, my lady," Link replied. He stood up straight, blocking her view of his room, and placed his right hand over his left wrist. "And you…? " He cocked his head. "Have you spotted something untoward?"

"No, no…"

"Your room, then?" he added. "Is it not to your satisfaction?"

"Fine," she said. "It's _fine._ I –" She gave up. She didn't even know what she was doing here. "It's nothing. I was just tired. I lack sleep, and came to your roo–"

Link's eyes bulged slightly just as Zelda caught the treacherous words leaving her lips.

"I did not mean –" she started. Her ears grew hot. "What I intended was –"

Link cut in. "We should sleep."

"Yes, we should." Her mind caught up again. "I mean, _you_ should. _I_ should. Sleep." Her mouth worked but now nothing came out. "I will be leaving now."

Link bowed his head. "My lady."

Princess Zelda turned on her heel and strode off, eyes wide, movements stiff, face burning.

* * *

Zelda lay on the grass on the peak of a hill outside the inn and stared up at the stars from within her hooded cloak. Link lay there, too – at a slight distance, of course, as befitting the rules of propriety. He held a thin skewer above his face, and chunks of meat slowly slid down the greasy metal to pop into his mouth. The sounds of laughing children drifted up to them as well. Some families – fellow guests of the inn - were having a midnight picnic nearby.

Zelda's stomach bubbled happily. Their suspiciously generous Zora host had been feeding them with prime gourmet meat stewed in a broth of rare heart radishes. And this despite the fact that she'd paid him with only enough coin for some bread.

"I am telling you," she said now to her knight. "The innkeeper knows who I am."

Link chewed on some meat. "You're imagining it."

"I am _not,"_ she protested. "Why else would he be treating me like – well, like a princess."

"In what way?"

"In what _way?"_ Zelda gaped. "The lavish food? The extra attention he gives the both of us? Surely, you must have noticed? He even gave you the blissful water bed! And as many meat skewers as your heart desires!"

There was a pause as Link slowly examined said skewer in his hand. "I don't see it, my lady."

Zelda's breath hissed from her lips. "How is it a knight such as yourself can eat so much and not get bloated? Perhaps rather than being the Chosen One, you should be –be-"

"Sir Loin?"

Zelda's jaw froze mid-reply. She slowly turned to stare at him. "Did you just make a-" She blinked. Link gazed back, expression blank. "Was that a –"

Zelda turned away with a shake of her head. A burning desire to prove her point chased away the thoughts she usually dwelt on in the middle of the night – about Calamity Ganon; and the unlocking of her sealing power.

Link spoke again. "I have a Zora friend," he said. "Mipha."

"I'm well aware of who Mipha is," she replied, a little too hotly. She quickly turned his way.

His expression hadn't changed – stiff, formal, serious – but the rapid blinking of his eyes had told her he'd been embarrassed. She tried to soften her words with a smile. The last thing she wanted was to scare him off now that he was finally beginning to open up to her.

"Right, of course," he said softly. "My apologies." A pause passed. "I meant to say that I know the Zora." Another pause. "They're quite the generous people. Naturally generous."

"I believe you," Zelda replied in a quiet voice. It didn't matter if she really did or not. She just wanted to reassure him. Link's thoughtful, measured manner of speaking told her that he struggled with the words that he wanted to say.

 _I know how he feels. Words so often evade me as well…_

"Well," she went on. "We're leaving on the morrow, anyway. If the innkeeper _does_ know who I am, he seems content to just lavish me with food and nothing more."

The princess turned her gaze back to the night sky. She gasped. "Look!" she said, feeling a surge of childlike glee. "See that? Look, Link." She pointed. Twin emerald points of light shone regally above them. Zelda heard Link shuffle in closer to her to see.

"The only green stars in the heavens," she explained with a smile. "I often wonder what they truly are." She glanced at Link, saw him looking at her oddly, then turned back to the sky. "They call them the Lady's Eyes."

Zelda was suddenly aware of just how close Link had moved over to her. Something warm unfurled within her that made her slowly turn her head – to find Link's gaze steadily meeting her own.

"My lady's eyes…" he said.

Zelda sat bolt upright. "Um," she said, catching her hood before it fell from the sudden motion. "I just –"

"Yes, my lady."

She didn't look at him. "I believe I have –" She rubbed her brow. "I've-I think I've left something back in my room."

"Yes, my lady."

She stood, and pulled on her cloak to straighten it. The restless crickets chirped far too loudly in her pounding ears. "I will return shortly."

"Of course, my lady."

* * *

Link folded his hands behind the back of his head, rolling the now empty skewer between his fingers, and sighed. _Why don't I ever speak, they ask me,_ he thought. _Because whenever my mouth opens, idiot spills out._

Had he just compared the princess's green eyes to a pair of twinkling stars…? Worse, had he said _my_ lady's eyes…?

He winced inwardly, but Zelda's reaction had only solidified what he already knew – outbursts of emotion _did_ scare people, especially when they already teetered on the edge. All the more reason why he was determined to ignore the warm embers that glowed within his heart whenever he was in the princess's presence.

The grass prickled through both his cloak and Champions tunic. His jaw ached, too. Not just from speaking, but from speaking so _formally._ Link wasn't too used to either, but he felt an irrational need for Zelda to not look on him as some commoner.

Moreover, he was still hungry. Link sat up, and spied an apple tree nearby. He drew back one hand – the one clutching the skewer – closed one eye to aim, then threw. Leaves shivered as the makeshift arrow caught an apple, tore it from its branch, and then pinned it to the trunk.

Link nodded in satisfaction. He didn't have time to collect his reward, though, as small voices began to float his way. He turned to see the picnicking children bickering not too far from where he currently lay.

"Give me that!" said a boy.

"No!" a girl replied. "S'mine!"

The boy pulled at an old fashioned pictograph box hanging from a brown leather strap around his sister's neck. Link knew of pictograph boxes, knew the quality of image couldn't compare to the camera rune on Zelda's Sheikah Slate.

"Give!" cried the boy.

"No!" the girl replied.

The boy swivelled, and that's when his eyes met Link's.

"What's up, buddy?" the young knight said, glad to drop all pretence of formality.

The two kids strode up to him. "It's mine," the girl said first, holding up the box.

"She won't share!" her brother protested. "She has to share!"

Link sat up. "Well," he said carefully. "How about you both do something you can do together?" The children stared at him. "Nothing...?"

The girl's face brightened as a thought came to her. "Race!" she cried.

"Yeah!" the boy piped in. "Race!" He grinned. "How about it, Mister…?"

Link was taken aback. "With me?"

"Uh huh!" said the girl.

"Yeah!" said her brother.

Link looked from the pair to the warm light spilling from the windows of the inn, then back again. These kids didn't know he was the Chosen One, and the princess, despite her words, most likely wouldn't be coming back after what he'd just blurted out.

Link smiled. "Sure thing."

The boy pointed. "First one down the hill!"

Link stood and brushed down his cloak. "Alright. Try and keep up."

"Go!" the boy shouted.

"Hey…" said Link in genuine surprise as the two children zipped off, their little legs pumping. "I wasn't even ready."

He watched for a moment more, then burst into a run himself. Link passed the kids with ease. As soon as he reached the mid-way point, though, he began to slow down. The young knight heard the children squeal in delight as they realised they were catching up. The knight dropped his pace to a jog and then, as the foot of the hill neared, he saw the girl shoot past both him and her brother to yell in triumph.

Link doubled over as the girl did a victory jig around him. "You got me," he said, faux-panting, "I need to up my training."

He felt a tug on his sleeve. Link looked up to see girl looking at him. "Mister…?" she said, holding up her quaint little pictograph box. "A picture…?"

Link wasn't quite sure if that was wise. Who knows who would get a hold of that picture? But, then, they _were_ just kids…

"Sure," he said, drawing himself back to his full height. "Feast your eyes."

He stood, right hand pointing skyward, left hand on his hip, and grinned.

The two children looked at him blankly.

"What," said the girl, "are you doing?"

"You are _weird_ ," said the boy.

"Let's go," said the girl, throwing the knight a glare as she tugged on her brother's sleeve. "Weirdo."

Link sighed. "Right."

The boy threw one last glance behind him as he turned and moved off. "Yer lady's back."

Link turned to look. "That she is." He turned back to see the two siblings running off, united again in their shared laughter, and allowed himself a sly smile.

 _Job done._

Princess Zelda stood at the top of the slope, arms folded as the night air played with her dark cloak. Link made sure he had his expression set firmly in place – sober, sombre, serious - before he marched up to her.

"What were you doing, Link?" she asked when he reached the crest of the hill.

"The children," he replied in a voice barely above a growl. "They were getting too close."

Her lips parted slightly in surprise. "You…" She blinked. "What did you do, Link? I sincerely hope you didn't frighten them."

Link said nothing. He let her imagination do the rest.

"Link," she said, panic rising in her voice. "Did you? Did you scare them?"

"I was protecting you," he replied.

"From children?!"

Link looked up into those eyes that did so very much resemble the brilliance of the twin green stars above. "Let me remind me you, my lady," he said. "Be ever vigilant because we do not know what form the coming Calamity will take."

Zelda gaped. Link walked off with the princess's voice trailing behind him. "You are not serious," she breathed "Tell me you're not being serious. I certainly did not mean - Link. _Link!_ "

And he smiled because the princess was so busy being outraged that she'd completely forgotten about her earlier awkwardness. Now she could focus on being angry with him instead of –

Well, _whatever_ it was she'd been feeling before.

Sometimes you had to fight fire with fire, and that meant pitting one emotion against another. It had worked before. He'd not said a word when they'd first been brought together, just so she would focus her all on the mystery of himself rather than waste away in worry over Calamity Ganon.

It all made perfect sense.

Didn't it…?

* * *

Zelda's eyes flew upon. Her heart sped. Moonlight from her room's only window spilled silver, mercurial light over her pillow.

Something had woken her.

 _Calamity Ganon!_ The thought shot through her heart like an ice arrow. _He's here! He's –_

Zelda sat up. Her blonde hair tumbled down over her shoulders and across the front of her nightgown. She saw torchlight seep in under the crack of her door.

 _No,_ she told herself. _It's not Ganon._

A prickle ran up her back. _Something_ was wrong, though. Throat suddenly dry, Zelda swung her legs out of the bed and felt the cold wooden floor kiss her bare feet. She waited on the edge of her bed as her eyes adjusted to the dark.

Zelda stood –

And a gloved hand suddenly clamped down over her mouth. Pain shot up her left arm as a tight grip pincered it. Outrage instantly overcame her fear. No one touched her like this. No one. She struggled.

"Settle down, princess," a voice whispered in her ear. The smell of smoke roiled off of the man's breath. "Settle down."

Zelda felt herself be pushed toward the door. She tried to drag her feet, to slow her captor down, but it came to nothing. Instead, she pried open her lips, ready to bite down hard –

When the man stuffed something scratchy and bitter into her mouth. She coughed and spluttered instantly.

"Was waiting for you to do that," he said. "Young women are just so predictable."

Zelda's eyes widened as she felt her tongue begin to swell. Panic set her heart off into a thunderous gallop. She tried to scream – but her tongue blocked it. It felt unnatural now, almost as though it were too big for her mouth. Her eyes watered.

The man forced her onward. Her gaze fell upon the spill of light that crept in under the crack of her door. She focussed on it. She had to. Everywhere else was cloaked in darkness. Her world dwindled, fading. There was nothing but that fiery glow now. That light.

Light.

Light.

 _Shadow._

The door splintered open on its hinges. Link – fully clothed and armoured – stood there framed in the torchlight.

Zelda heard her captor gasp. "How…?" he cried. "I was so careful. How could you have possibly known?"

Her chosen knight said nothing. His sapphire eyes blazed from within an expression of grim determination. His fingers were half-curved in readiness to pounce.

"Don't," her captor spat. His grip around her arm stiffened. Zelda grit her teeth against the pain. "You won't do anything while I have the girl." A heartbeat stretched. "You should know why I'm doing this. I'm –"

"No," said Link.

Zelda felt the man's breath hiss past her ear. "Don't ignore me," he growled. "I hate when people ignore me. Listen to me. Lis -"

"Let her go."

Her captor's posture shifted, his body moving slightly away from her. Zelda heard his mouth open to speak again – but Link cut him off.

"Give me back my princess."

Despite her precarious situation, Zelda couldn't help but feel her heart surge hearing that. The words - or Link's dark tone, rather – struck her captor, too. He panicked, releasing her with a sudden shove. Zelda heard the sudden shatter of glass, and then felt the breeze of Link shooting past her.

And then she fell to her knees and sucked in a long, wheezing breath.

* * *

Cold night air hit Link's face as he dived out of the window after the Hylian man. The young knight hit the ground in an awkward roll. His breath burst from his lungs, the momentum propelling him along the ground longer than he'd wanted, stones and dirt flying out from under him.

He sprang to his feet and cramped up, pain shooting through his arms and legs. _Too high,_ his mind protested. _That was too high to jump from!_

Link ignored both the pain and his own thoughts. He didn't even notice the fairy spiralling up out of his belt, spilling healing light over all his limbs. The man had threatened Zelda. That's what was important. Moreover, the would-be kidnapper didn't seem all that bothered about jumping from a great height, given the speed by which he was already sprinting down the hill.

Link thought fast. He reached back for his shield, balanced it carefully in his hand, then flung it face-down onto the grass. He took a few steps, leapt, then landed on the metal. Digging one heel into the dirt, Link kicked off and, arms out wide and knees slightly bent, sent himself sliding down the grassy slope.

The wind whistled past him, shield wobbling under his feet, torn grass spraying into the air in his wake. Link's eyes thinned. The man was already waiting at the base of the hill.

And he had a weapon. The burning light of a Great Flameblade blurred the air and cast the kidnapper's grinning face into sharp relief.

 _Seriously…?_

The man chuckled. It was only then that Link recognised him. He'd been in the inn, smoking a long pipe.

"Come on, then," the man crowed. "Come to your Papa."

Link only had one response to that. As he sped in closer, he reached back for his Royal Bow with one hand, spun an ice arrow to the string with his other, and pulled.

The shield hit a rock, launching it into the air. Link drew his knees up, shield clinging momentarily to his boots.

Link aimed, and released. "Run to your Mama."

The arrow drove into the Flameblade with an audible _zing._ A block of ice formed instantly.

Link landed – and his face met that same lump of cold ice. He stumbled back, face wrinkling and arms windmilling, then dropped to his knees. Some part of his mind was impressed with his opponent's fast thinking.

But Link was fast, too. As the other Hylian raised the huge block of ice to bring it smashing down, the knight drove his head into the other man's groin. The would-be kidnapper doubled over, eyes bulging.

Link dug his knees into the dirt, coiling all his energy there, then flipped back up and onto his feet. He reached back for the Master Sword –

When the ice shattered, and the man whirled away. "Next time!" he spat. Purple smoke popped – and then he was gone.

Link slowly lowered his hand. As the adrenaline cleared from his mind, a new, urgent thought came to him.

Link snapped his gaze back up the hill. "Princess."

He broke into a sprint. When Link burst through the front door he found the inn in chaos – bleary-eyed guests protesting their confusion to the equally perplexed Zora innkeeper.

Link ignored them all and bounded up the stairs, three steps at a time, the wood straining from the force. He ran into the princess's room – and stopped short.

She was still on her knees, her eyes wide, with glistening tracks on her face marking the path of her tears.

"Princess…?" he said. A part of his mind noticed that she was in her nightgown, and another part of him stirred faintly at that.

Zelda said nothing. Just stared. Link took a few more steps inside. He could hear the rattle of the stairs behind coupled with angry shouts as people began rushing up.

"My lady…?"

Still nothing.

Link noticed a bulge in both her cheeks. He slowly knelt down in front of her.

"Can you…?"

She shook her head and stared helplessly.

And that's when Link knew that Princess Zelda was now utterly unable to speak.


	2. In the Wild

**2\. In the Wild**

A light breeze rolled off the deep blue and sun-dappled waters of Lake Totori, one that washed over Link with a cool, refreshing touch. He stood over a cook fire, steam rising to his face, his head bopping from side to side as he hummed softly to himself.

'The Hero of Hyrule, chosen one of the sword that seals the darkness, is a paragon of knightly virtue, a stern and sombre shield protecting the people from the coming Calamity.'

 _Good thing no one can see me like this, then. They might think I'm an actual human or something._

'The Chosen One is perfect, unflinching, impervious to pain –'

 _And a complete fantasy._

Sure, he played up to that very same image the Hylians clung to. Like he'd told the princess, they would stay calm if he projected calm himself. Plus, with everyone looking at him, stars in their eyes, satisfied with his strong, stable and – above all – _consistent_ face, it left him free to be the Chosen One in the manner _he_ chose. Just so long as he didn't let the mask slip and draw in too much attention.

"Is it a mask…?" Mipha had once asked him. "I can tell you're naturally quiet and composed. It's one reason why I –" She'd stopped herself, a faint blush rising to settle beneath her golden eyes. "What I mean to say is I don't think your reserve has anything to do with being weighed down by a crushing burden. Am I right…?"

She was. Link just viewed words as he did arrows – to be used sparingly for the best effect. Still, a mischievous part of him _did_ like how he could silence a person with just a glare, a look from the Hero of Hyrule sometimes carrying more weight than even the word of the king. Link allowed himself a small smile. Even the Chosen One liked to play games.

"Chosen One," Mipha had said another time, the words dropping from her tongue in slow, careful deliberation. "I never hear _you_ refer to yourself as that, Link. At least, not out loud. How does it feel?"

Link's heart knew how it felt about that. It sang a song of gratitude that settled over him like a soft cloak of hushed awe, one that he clung to himself with relish.

Link glanced over to the lake, saw sunlight ripple over its placid surface. A small figure crouched at the shore. Princess Zelda, undertaking her morning ablutions. He'd never let _her_ out of his sight – except for when she needed her privacy and when she slept, of course. And that last one he'd have to seriously reconsider after what had happened back in Frontier Inn.

Link peered down at the cook pot. Almost ready. He scooped a bowl up from the grass and began to ladle the steaming broth into it. Regret pinched his heart as he saw the hunks of meat that still swam in the pot. The sharp pang in the pit of his stomach only reinforced what he already knew: Link was tempted. _Sorely_ tempted. To the point where he hesitated, wooden spoon paused in mid-air, wisps of steam curling up from its curved tip. Who would even know, after all…?

But, no. If Princess Zelda could only down liquid food, then he would, too.

Link's chest heaved as a long, slow breath left his lips. He had no idea how to reverse what had happened to the princess. He'd tried using a fairy, and even a Hearty Elixir – it was worth a shot – but nothing had worked. In the end, the princess had worked furiously on her Sheikah Slate in search of a cure, and had indicated that they should continue with their mission.

Link's gaze swept across the rest of Tabantha Frontier, humming once again. Drifting curls of smoke marked the myriad settlements that dotted the land – small villages filled with Rito and Hylians alike. So much life. So many people.

 _Calamity Ganon is seriously going to beat every single one of us…?_ Link mused. _I don't see it._

Link stopped humming the instant he caught sight of Princess Zelda staring at him with narrowed eyes. He hadn't even noticed that she'd returned. That was a slip. It wouldn't happen again.

His heart thumped. Had she heard him…?

"Princess," he said, eager to break the silence. His mind worked fast to find something pithy to say. "Do you sing, my lady?"

And that wasn't it. Even Zelda looked at him with one eyebrow arched.

"Not – not at the moment, of course," he added. "Obviously. I just meant –" Link decided to hold out the bowl of broth instead. "Breakfast?"

Zelda eyed the bowl warily, and took the few steps dividing them to take it. She slowly lifted it, sniffed, took a sip, then looked up at him, the corner of her mouth curved up, a sparkle of mild surprise in her eyes.

Link gave her an encouraging nod. The princess brought the bowl to her lips, and the sound of her slurping brought a twitch of a smile to the young knight's lips. When Zelda looked up again, his smile had vanished. She had to know that he meant business – that way the trust between them, as princess and protector, could deepen.

'The Chosen One's strength is seen in the steely determination of his face, friends and foe alike humbled in fear by the rough cut of his jib.'

But a playful part of him _did_ feel a smidgen pleased that she'd liked his cooking…

"There's more," he said, nodding down at the pot. "If you…" How could he put this in a courtly, formal way? "…If…" _Think, Hero, think!_ "If my lady is still in the need of the call of nature."

Zelda looked up from the bowl to stare at him. He stared back, face stiff and solemn.

And then the princess spluttered into a hissing, snickering laugh, her whole body shaking from the force of it.

Link pursed his lips. _Guess that wasn't it._ He sighed as the princess doubled over to continue her fit of laughter. So much for showing her he meant business. _Why do I ever bother to open my mouth…?_

Still. Her mirth meant that, for the moment, her mind wasn't fixated on what had happened to her tongue. The people wanted perfection? Well, this was it for Link. Allowing something fresh to grow from the mud of your mistakes.

This laughter would serve the princess well. It would raise her spirits. And _that_ was a good thing.

That's what the Chosen One was _for._

* * *

But it didn't last.

Link sat and slowly ran a whetstone down the Master Sword's edge, the blurry pomegranate glow of sunset reflecting off of the steel, his head down in apparent absorption. Out of the corner of his eye, Link saw the princess perched upon a rocky outcrop, her face pinched and haggard as she stared out into the distance. The Sheikah Slate lay untended in her hand. She hadn't yet found a cure.

Frustration blistered Link's heart. This wasn't right. Her sadness. Her helplessness.

 _His_ helplessness.

Link shifted his gaze down the winding slope they'd just ascended, here on the edge of the Hebra Mountain range. Somewhere in this area was this strange new variety of Silent Princess. Zelda had already set the Sheikah Sensor to notify them when it came into range – or, at least, when a Silent Princess of _any_ description came into range.

But that wasn't why Link's focus now zoned in on the path. His keen hearing had noticed things when they'd made their trek up. Shifting stones disturbed neither by their passage nor by any animal. The faint sound of breathing that had reached Link's ears when the direction of the wind had changed.

 _We're being followed._

And probably by the same person that had attacked Zelda back at the inn. Link knew he was there. He just couldn't see him. And that bothered the young knight.

 _Especially if this guy knows how to cure the princess._

Not that he was about to let that slip to Zelda. His gaze swung over to her again, and the troubled look she still wore compelled him to approach her. Link stood, letting the Master Sword slide smoothly back into its sheath, then walked slowly up to where she sat. She glanced at him, face pensive, and quickly looked away.

He stopped, fingers flexing as he wondered how to approach this. Link softly cleared his throat.

"Princess."

She didn't respond, didn't even turn to acknowledge him. Link saw the rest of Tabantha spread out beyond and below, lights sprinkling into life across each and every settlement with every passing moment of the sun's descent. A lilac afterglow hung in the sky.

"My lady," he said, his voice firm. "May I see…?"

Now Zelda did turn to him, her furrowed brow indicating her puzzlement at his question.

"Your…tongue," Link continued. He found it hard to be the one leading a conversation. In fact, it pained him. "Could I see?"

Zelda's eyes widened a fraction, a scarlet blush shooting to her cheeks. She gave a vigorous shake of her head and looked away again.

Link sighed. He lifted his hand, hesitated, then decided to press on, gently cradled her chin and turning her head back. Twin sparks of sudden anger shone bright in her eyes.

 _My lady's eyes…_

For a moment, both their gazes locked. Zelda's indignation faded, her face growing slack in his hand, and Link felt an electric ripple run all the way through his heart.

And then the princess scowled again, and Link blinked away the thoughts.

He heard the princess furiously tapping away on the Sheikah Slate. She held it up to show words glowing on the screen in the fading light. Link couldn't help but admire her resourcefulness. His eyes darted over her message.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

"Just…" he began. "Let me see. Maybe I missed something."

More tapping followed. Zelda's sour face accompanied the held up the Slate.

MY TEETH, PERHAPS?

Link bit back a smile. The princess could be ferociously caustic when the mood struck her. He knew this as he'd once silently took the brunt of her shouting at him to stop following her. He hadn't cared then, and he didn't care now. After all, they didn't want their Chosen One to be soft, did they…?

The Sheikah Slate flashed into view again.

MY FACE. PLEASE RELEASE IT.

Link hadn't even realised that he still had a grip on her chin. He didn't comply, though. Instead, he used his fingers to press her cheeks and open her mouth. As he peered at the swollen slab of flesh that had become her tongue, Link noticed that the princess was stabbing away at the Sheikah Slate again, agonisingly slow, letter by letter.

With narrowed eyes, Zelda held up the ancient device. Link didn't turn, just glanced to his right to see what she'd written this time.

MY FATHER WILL HEAR OF THIS.

"I'm tasked with your protection, my lady," Link murmured. "Your father. He'd never forgive me if I didn't force myself to check out your tongue."

He froze, heat rising to his face. His mind quickly protested in horror at the words that had just spilled from his mouth. Zelda's eyes widened, too. She yanked out of his grasp, slid off her perch and walked off.

Link stood there for a long moment, hand still stuck in mid-air, and felt engulfed in a solemn, contrite silence. Then, slowly, he began to smile.

He'd done it again. By making her focus on _how_ he'd opened her mouth, she'd be briefly distracted with what was going on _within_ it.

And that, too, what was the Chosen One was _for._

Now all he had to do was to stop blurting things out like an idiot.

* * *

Or maybe, just maybe, Link had got this wrong.

The princess walked on ahead of him in sullen silence, head down, the Sheikah Sensor beeping faintly. Every time he'd try to catch up to her, she'd just speed on up. Plus, she'd stopped talking to him.

 _Obviously._

What Link meant was that she'd stopped communicating via the Sheikah Slate as well. A twist of regret caught his heart. He hadn't wanted to _hurt_ her. And, true, no one _was_ allowed to touch the princess, especially not like he'd just done.

 _How can I fix this?_

Zelda resenting his presence wasn't anything new. But recently, ever since he'd foiled the Yiga attack on her, he'd noticed her looking at him with a new softness in her eyes. Respect, perhaps? The sinking dismay he now felt surprised him, though. Link _missed_ that softness.

So, really, how could he fix this without tearing out the roots of that newfound respect…?

Stars began to twinkle above, heralding the coming of twilight, and soon their only light would be the glow from the Sheikah Slate and the rising moon. The princess spun on her heel, then sat down, her face turned away from her knight. She folded her arms.

Link slowed. He understood. It was time to camp. He'd hauled the small cookpot along with him and, after striking up a fire with some wood, flint and a swing of his sword, got to work on cooking their supper. He bit back the urge to hum; instead the tip of his tongue peeked out of his mouth as he worked.

And though he presented a picture of complete concentration, every single one of Link's senses stood on high alert. They were still being followed. And the coming of night brought with it other dangers like the skeletal Stalkoblins that had started to appear more regularly now that the Calamity was imminent.

 _Priorities first, though,_ thought Link. _Food._

Link was going to make Zelda the best meal he could. Maybe that way he could win his silent princess back.

Shame about the ingredients. He'd used up the last of the meat he'd purchased from Frontier Inn for breakfast that morning. Thinking back, Link recalled that last encounter with the innkeeper.

"Yeah, take it," the Zora had said when hurriedly handing over the raw meat. "If it means you two are finally going to leave."

Link had slid over another gold rupee – their last - to cover the cost of the shattered window in Zelda's room. The innkeeper had taken it with a sour look.

"Come back anytime," he had said dryly. "Just don't leave any corpses on my porch"

And so all Link had left were the Hyrule herbs and various shrooms he'd picked up on their travels. At least it would smell good.

Link's gaze snapped up. He'd heard something. Voices. Drifting their way. The princess heard it, too. She slowly stood and the flipped the hood of her dark cloak up.

Link moved on ahead of her without even thinking about it. The voices moved towards them.

 _So, not our hidden pursuer, then._

Link's heart thudded softly as every inch of him tensed up.

A spray of small rocks sputtered across the path, followed by a thin Hylian who fell into an awkward roll after being clearly shoved. Thin, scarlet rivulets lined his face.

Two other Hylians followed, both tall, the armour of the leader straining from his bulging waistline. Princess Zelda stepped up beside Link, her hand curling into a fist. None of the newcomers had noticed the two travellers; the smaller man too absorbed with his fear, the other two only having eyes for their victim.

Link's gaze shifted from the aggressors to the cowering man. The small Hylian shrank back, blinking rapidly as blood ran into his eyes. Link's eyes switched back to the two aggressors. They stalked their victim, a menacing hunger turning their faces ugly.

"So," said Link. "Whatcha doin?"

All three of them looked up.

"Please…" breathed the smaller Hylian. "Help me."

"What's this…?" said the bigger of the two other men. His eyes shifted over to the princess. Link's own eyes narrowed in turn. "And _who_ is this…?" He glanced back at the knight. "Your girl…?"

"No," Link replied. "Just my wife."

He felt an instant inward wince. He didn't even have to look at her to feel Zelda's withering glare.

"What," said Link, "are you doing?"

Meaty shoulders rippled in response. "Just doing our bit," he said. "Against the Calamity. We're training. This fellow here –" He nudged his head in the smaller man's direction "- is a Bokoblin and we're just showing him the moves the Chosen One would give him." He grinned, revealing a row of gapped teeth. "Wanna join in?"

Link pursed his lips. A blister of anger pinched the skin on his face.

The other man chuckled. "Ah, don't be like that, boy," he sneered. "Here. The young miss –your _wife,_ sorry – can pretend to be the princess." He nudged his friend. "Then we can all get our reward after we slay the monster."

"You disgrace him," Link growled. "You disgrace the Chosen One by your actions."

The princess nodded vigorously in agreement.

"Like the two of you have a clue," the big man replied. "I've studied the Chosen One. I _know_ him. He's like a brother to me."

"I think not."

The big man barked a short laugh. " _This_ is how he treats Ganon's scum." He nodded towards his cowering victim. "You know how well I'm in with the Chosen One?"

"Pray tell."

"Well," the man grinned. "Look it this. I've even got myself a copy of his sword."

He reached back to draw the blade in question. The metal was a little duller, and the engravings a little less intricate, but there was no arguing the point. It was an almost near-replica of the Master Sword.

"Really," said Link, his voice blank. He reached back for his hilt. "Well, I've got the real thing."

A whisper of drawn steel rang in the air. The other man's eyes widened. His companion instantly drew a blade of his own.

Link's left hand flexed around the pommel of the Master Sword. With his right hand, he gently pushed the princess behind him. He waited. Whatever else they were, the men were still subjects of the king. _They_ would have to make the first strike before he acted.

The silence stretched. A swirl of air twined around their feet.

The big man finally slowly shook his head. "So you got yourself a better copy of his sword," he said. "That doesn't make you him. Yer just another fan."

"Have you ever seen him?" Link replied.

"Nah," said the man. "But I know he ain't got black hair like you."

 _Thank you, Hateno dye._

The man looked to his friend. "Sic 'im."

The sidekick ran in, screaming, sword held out in front of him in a shaky hand.

 _No confidence,_ Link concluded.

The knight shifted his feet to meet the attack – then kicked the weapon out of the man's hand. He caught the blade, flipped it over instantly, pommel up, and rammed the hilt into side of the sidekick's head. The Hylian dropped to the ground, unconscious.

Link flipped the sword back, and twirled both the new weapon and his Master Sword – one in each hand - with slow menace. Perhaps he could scare the bigger man off.

He couldn't. The stranger launched himself at Link.

As steel clanged every time Link swiftly deflected a strike, he realised one thing very quickly: this man _had_ studied him, or at least, the way he fought. Despite his girth, the Hylian moved with smooth agility.

His opponent drove in with a thrust that Link batted aside with the Master Sword. Link followed through with the other blade, but the bigger man whirled, bringing his sword around to block. A shimmering metallic echo sounded all around them as the two blades stood locked against the other.

Link kicked him in the gut, driving him back. The man pounced, face flushed, lunging in for the knight's heart –

And Link brought both his swords spinning up together in an X that caught the metal tip of the attacking blade.

The Hylian's eyes widened. "You…" he gasped. "You _are_ him."

Link leaned in close. "Go," he whispered. "And you saw _no-one_ here. Understood?"

The big man gave a vigorous nod. He dropped his sword - it hit the ground with a dull thud of metal – then rushed past both the princess and knight to scarper back down the path.

Link flung the spare blade aside and set the Master Sword back in its sheath. He looked around for the small guy – the one that had borne the brunt of the two men – and found that he'd already gone.

 _Made a run for it,_ he mused. _In all the fighting._

Link looked up – just in time to see Princess Zelda, hood now dropped, brush past him, her shoulder glancing his. He sighed.

 _What have I done now?_ he mused, but Link knew the answer instantly. He'd pretty much just revealed their identities – so now time was of the essence. _There goes making camp, then._

Link slowly walked on behind her. The Sheikah Sensor began beeping more urgently. Zelda unlatched the Slate from her hip, peered at the screen, then moved off in the direction it indicated.

Link followed, his eyes glancing at her long, blonde hair as it bobbed up and down in time with her every step. A yawning pit opened in his soul, a deep longing for things to go back to where they'd been just a day or so ago.

He looked up, and once again his gaze met her hair. Something stirred in his heart, and the young knight was prompted to speak.

"Princess," he said. He'd used his _Chosen One_ growl – barely above a whisper – that he'd painstakingly taken the time to develop.

It worked. Zelda stopped short.

Link raised his chin. "I..." he began. "I just wanted to…" He awkwardly cleared his throat. "I went too far, my lady."

He waited, but the princess still didn't turn around. She hardly even moved. Link's heart felt like a lead weight.

 _What does she want me to say…?_

"I'm sorry," he said. "You can tell the king. That's your right. And I know you don't have to pardon me." She cocked her head slightly hearing this. "You're the princess. You do what you want. But could you accept my apology as…as a friend?"

Link gave a hopeful smile. Zelda stiffened. He could tell she was looking at him out of the corner of her eye. He waited, heart thumping. And then the princess turned around, wearing a satisfied smile of her own. She held up the Sheikah Slate.

THAT'S QUITE ALRIGHT.

She turned away to follow the beeping Sheikah Sensor once more. Link blinked. He hadn't even seen her type the words. Which meant –

 _She's had them ready for a while._

Link's smile was still fixed firmly in place when it hit him what exactly she'd done. His silent princess had reached through a chink in his carefully contrived shell and had drawn a little bit more of himself out of it.

And that was when Link knew that he wasn't the only one who could put on an act to get exactly what they wanted.


	3. In the End

**3 – In the End**

A faint mist of rain hissed. Princess Zelda blinked, squinting. Water dripped off of her nose as she peered down at the blurred screen of the Sheikah Slate. Her green eyes caught the reflection of a pulsing light – the Sheikah Sensor, beating in time with an urgent beeping, the sound effect a recent addition that she'd programmed herself.

 _I will have you know,_ she thought, imagining her father in front of her. _That my research_ _ **has**_ _proven to be useful._

Zelda smiled. She felt joy bubble in her heart and, surprisingly, it had nothing to do with her feeling exonerated. Despite the rain, and despite what had afflicted her tongue, the princess felt happy. Why?

 _Because I managed to pull a smile out of Link!_ It was a feat on par with drawing blood from a stone. More importantly, though, was what he'd _said._

 _Friend. He wanted me to look at him as a friend._

Her smile broadened. Zelda's mind rolled back to the moments before the heavens had opened with rain. Her knight had trotted off to scout the area. The princess had been left beside a crackling fire. She'd quickly noticed that Link had left behind his cookpot and bowls.

A sudden whim had set the princess to work. She'd flipped open a cooled pouch on her belt – another of her designs brought into realisation by the craftsmen back at the castle – and had drawn out a strip of meat. She'd been saving it. Link seemed to be quite the fan.

Then she had dropped the still-fresh foodstuff into the swirling liquid within the pot. It was bubbling by the time her chosen knight returned.

"My lady," he said, blinking in surprise as he came to a stop. "What is this?"

Zelda closed her eyes for a moment to slowly inhale the scent of the broth, then ladled some into a bowl and set it down on the ground. She happily tapped away at the Sheikah Slate.

CARE FOR A SNACK?

Link's face stiffened. "If you were hungry," he said. "You should have just –"

She cut him off by holding up the Slate again.

NOT FOR ME. I'LL BE TAKING A SHORT WALK.

"That's…" Link began. He ran a hand through his hair. "That's not necessary. I have no need for food at the moment."

Zelda tapped at the screen.

IT'S MEAT STEW.

Link stared at her, face blank. "Leave the bowl."

And Princess Zelda had grinned.

Now the Sheikah Sensor hit fever pitch, pulling Zelda out of her thoughts and back into the rain-sodden moment. She stopped short on the narrow mountain pathway. Blinking rainwater from her eyes, Zelda turned to glance up at the mountainside. A yawning opening loomed large in front of her, the surrounding rock dark from the relentless downpour.

Anticipation grew taut in Zelda's heart. This was it. The Silent Princess was within this very tunnel.

The princess took a step forward – when her knight rushed past her, sword in hand. A single slash tore a thick vine blocking the opening, then without a word he took point.

His actions stoked the warm embers in her heart. Link would always be there to protect her. Even, Zelda imagined as she followed him into the tunnel, if she lived to be one hundred. A thick, earthy scent enveloped her. The walls and floor were rocky and uneven, and they all glistened with a slick coat of damp.

Unease crept into the pit of Zelda's gut. There were torches, set in crudely made sconces along the wall, the soft flames sputtering quietly. _Is someone already here, I wonder…?_

Straggly roots hung from above her and the princess had to carefully walk around them to make sure they wouldn't cling to her face. Her gaze dropped. The torchlight revealed tiny shapes slithering over the jutting deposits of rock below. Zelda stared in fascination. If her handmaids had been here, they'd have screeched, grimacing, lifting their skirts to avoid the creeping insects below. The princess, on the other hand, crouched to take a closer look.

 _Such amazing creatures…_

She saw a pair of pincers wriggling as one of the insects, smaller than the rest, struggled in amongst its companions. Zelda dangled a finger in front of it. The pincers grabbed hold, and the princess slowly pulled it free. She held it up to her face and smiled as it dangled.

Zelda saw Link staring at her, his face pinched with barely concealed disgust.

 _Not a fan, it would appear…_

"Princess," he said. "We don't have the time for bugs."

Zelda sighed and set the critter down. She felt a pang that they couldn't linger just a bit longer to investigate. She stood up and tapped at the Sheikah Slate.

I THINK, she wrote just before she held the device up for her knight to see, I SHALL NAME THAT ONE 'COURAGE.'

Link looked at her blankly. "Right."

He moved off to leave and Zelda sighed again before she followed. The path began to ascend, then opened up slightly into a circular cavern ringed with flickering torchlight. A trio of stone slabs hewn at roughly the same size lay littered across the ground. Another slab stood in an opening just up ahead. The _only_ other opening.

Link turned to her. "My lady," he said. "Are you certain this is the way to the flower?"

Zelda looked down at the Slate, then looked back up and nodded. It was the way to _a_ flower, at least.

Link sighed, then made his way over to the blocking slab. The Sheikah Slate dangled from Zelda's right hand. The left she wiped on her tunic. A smear of sweaty grime marked the path of her palm. Zelda's chest heaved, hand flexing with restless energy, as she saw Link crouch beneath a sizzling torch and place a gloved hand of his own against the chalky surface. It wasn't a door, exactly – there were no hinges – but when the knight gave it a slight push, it didn't give.

Link pursed his lips. He looked up at her and shook his head.

Blocked. A clammy touch of dismay needled Zelda in the very centre of her soul. This couldn't be it. How, then, had all those traders even spotted the Silent Princess …?

A thought shot into the princess's head. Zelda worked furiously on the Sheikah Slate. Once she'd finished, she made her way over to Link and gave his sleeve a quick tug, then held up the device.

LINE UP ALL THE SLABS. LIFTING THEM WILL BUILD UP ENERGY. KNOCK THE FIRST ONE DOWN. THE STORED ENERGY WILL TRANSFER TO EACH ONE AFTER AND BRING THE DOOR DOWN.

Link stared, blinking, then slowly began to nod. His awed expression told Zelda that he was impressed. Once again, her research _worked._ Her giddiness was tempered, though.

 _If only you were here to see this, father…_

Zelda waited as Link set the other slabs up in a row. She watched, swallowing, as he positioned himself at the first one. He leaned against it, face soon flushed red, his jaw set and his arms straining. The princess winced in silent sympathy.

 _All these ideas,_ she mused. _I just wish I had the power to help more!_

She doubted her sealing power would even do much good here. But that's not all she had.

Zelda gestured excitedly to get Link's attention. He looked up, and she then beckoned for him to step away. Her finger slid across the Sheikah Slate's screen. The Stasis Rune came into view. She tapped it.

Pulsing yellow energy spilled out of the Slate. Zelda directed it onto the first slab, which then froze within a prison of incandescent chains. She gave her knight an urgent nod.

Link understood. He reached for the Master Sword, then hacked away, sparks flying with each strike of steel against stone. Zelda's heart thudded in chorus with the Slate's timer as it built up to a crescendo – then the energy exploded outward and the slab wobbled, then slowly toppled, knocking it into the next, then the next, and finally knocking the door flat on its face.

Zelda almost did a little jig of happiness on the spot, but remembered her courtly manners and held back. She _did_ clutch the Sheikah Slate harder, though. The runes it held were fragile things – were the Slate to be damaged, then Impa had informed her that the runes would, in order to protect ancient Sheikah knowledge, leave the device and lock themselves away in one of the many Sheikah Shrines that dotted the landscape of Hyrule.

A sour thought made her grimace. _Shrines that I have no access to at all._

Link nodded at her, and they stepped through the fresh opening. Zelda's eyes fell upon her knight's back. She felt a nudge of guilt at the affronted act she'd put on. She hadn't really wanted to make him feel _bad_ , especially not so soon after offering him an apology for shouting at him. She had just, on a whim, wanted to make him react.

 _I needed to know. Did he feel anything under that stoic exterior of his…?_

And he clearly did.

 _Friend._

It surprised her how few of those she actually had, what with her time eaten up by her twin passions: trying to unlock her sealing power and her ever-diligent studies.

Zelda looked up. The path ahead was completely clear. The ground had evened out, and the smooth surface didn't even hold a speck of dirt. Another single door stood at the end of the passageway. The princess took in a long breath as her confidence surged. She made to stride on ahead –

When Link's arm snapped out like a whip to block her way.

"Wait," he said in a low murmur. A clod of earth fell from the ceiling to hit the ground and spill soil right beside their feet. "Something's not right."

Zelda felt her heart squeeze. Link's tense demeanour was contagious.

The young knight slowly fell into a crouch. He looked on ahead, rubbing his chin as he poked the inside of his cheek with the tip of his tongue. A faint part of Zelda's mind found that quite endearing.

Link scooped some pebbles up off of the ground, weighed them in his palm, then sent them scattering on ahead. A metallic tinkle sounded – and then the floor ahead gave away with a loud _clunk_.

Zelda took a few stumbling steps back. She swallowed. Twin metal flaps opened out onto darkness below.

Link slowly stood, his face creased in thought. Zelda, on the other hand, had already got to work. She punched away at the Sheikah Slate, then looked up as the Magnesis Rune went into action. Twin streams of pale, blue light hit the false floor. A single, sharp tug from the princess swung the two halves up together again. The click of a lock echoed through the tunnel.

Link turned to look at her with amazement. He clearly forgot himself – a relieved smile crossed his face. He opened his mouth to speak. "My lady, I think you're-"

Then stopped.

Zelda stared.

 _I…am what?_

Link's smile vanished. "You're…you are…ready to move on." He slid his gloved hand through his hair. "I mean…I think we should move on." He cleared his throat, then faced stiffly front. "Let's move on."

 _No, no, no, no, no! That is not what you were going to say, Link!_ Zelda hissed in frustration. _Curse this affliction to my tongue!_

But her knight had already stepped out onto the metal platform. With a sigh of defeat, Zelda flicked the Magnesis Rune off and followed suit. The false floor gave slightly under her boots, but didn't fall open. She smiled – and fortune must have been looking down on her from above as Link looked back at her, his smile returning in the form of an encouraging grin.

Which then froze in place as the entire tunnel shook. A sudden rumble of grinding gears sounded. Zelda locked eyes with Link. Her gaze slowly swung to the left. The cobweb-dusted wall there was beginning to slowly shudder its way down. Zelda's heart hammered in her chest. Her gaze crept to the right – same again, though this time she saw the glint of steel darts peeking out.

 _What in the world_ _ **is**_ _this place?!_

Fear knotted Zelda's shoulders. Her fingertips dug into the smooth, polished surface of the Sheikah Slate. Her gaze slowly rose to meet Link's face. She saw a bead of sweat run down his face.

The rumbling stopped.

"Princess," Link whispered.

Her wide eyes stared as she gave the tiniest of nods in response.

"Duck."

They both dropped. A chorus of whispers marked the launch of the darts. Zelda flinched as she heard the clatter of wood above, then felt the splinters drizzle down all around, some sliding down through her collar and nestling at the base of her back.

Another rumble, another hushed gasp of shooting darts. This time Link swung upright, drawing the Master Sword as he did so, and sliced through the haze of tiny arrows. The knight's eyes widened. Yet another set of darts had slid into place.

Zelda looked up ahead. Her heart squeezed. Too far to make a run for it. Her finger slid across the Sheikah Slate's screen.

Stasis Rune. _No._ Bomb. _No._ Album. _Useless!_

Her eyes snapped up to Link. He was staring down at her.

"Princess," he breathed. "I just want to say –"

Zelda felt a ridiculous surge in her heart. _Yes…?_

"Take cover!"

Link drove the Master Sword into the wall. Sparks flew. Darts shattered. Zelda jerked her face away as she heard a satisfying crunch of shattered gears. She took a peek up. Link tore the sword free, then whirled around to plunge it into the other wall –

And a shot of electrical energy grabbed hold of the knight.

 _No!_

Link stood there shuddering, jaw clenched and eyes wide, his sword arm trapped in the current. Sparks flew from within the wall. A few remaining darts slid into place, aimed directly at the young knight's face.

 _NO!_

Teeth bared, Zelda punched the Magnesis Rune into action. The energy seeped into the fresh hole. She stood up and pulled, the Sheikah Slate vibrating in her hands as she felt the strain thrum into the marrow of her bones – and then the entire wall mechanism tore free and fell with a dull clunk onto the floor. Zelda fell back onto her rump.

One last spring twanged. Link relaxed, free at last. He bent over, chest heaving. A long, slow breath blew through Zelda's lips. Her shoulders sagged in time. They'd made it.

Link looked at her. "Thank you, princess."

Standing, she tapped away on her Slate without even thinking about it.

I DO BELIEVE, she wrote, WE MAKE QUITE THE TEAM.

She flashed him a grin. Link gave her a short nod and a small smile in response.

 _He's been smiling so much now,_ thought Zelda, _that I'm beginning to wonder if he really is as implacably serious as he makes out._

Well, _that_ was a riddle for another time. They stepped off of the false floor. Now the door they'd spotted earlier stood before them. Zelda reached up – and her hand froze in mid-air as the stone slowly slid aside with a groan. Flecks of rain fell into her eyes.

The door had opened out onto a flat outcrop of rock jutting out of the mountainside and open to the rain. A sheer drop surrounded them. Silent lightning split the dark sky above and the wind whistled softly all around.

Zelda's eyes widened. A man surrounded by a gaggle of Hylians sat at a table where there stood a small vial of green liquid and –

 _The Silent Princess!_ Zelda stared, mesmerised. Glowing patterns of ancient tech ran up and down the tall stem. _It's beautiful._

"You," said Link, breaking into Zelda's reverie. "You tried to steal the princess. You were following. How did you get here before us?"

Zelda gawped at the man. _This was my kidnapper…?_

The Hylian stranger smiled. "Well," he said. "Thereby hangs a tale…"

* * *

The rain began to fade, though sheets of lightning still flashed in the distance.

"You see…" the Hylian began. "I wanted to explain back at the inn." His eyes shifted over to Link. "But you wouldn't let me."

Link's gaze fell upon the Hylians surrounding the stranger. Their eyes were wide, pleading.

The other man spoke again. "I wish to challenge the Chosen One." A ripple of movement ran through the Hylians. "Yes," the man went on. "This _is_ your Chosen One. And, like I said, I want to offer a challenge."

Link's eyes darted up to the Hylian. _Challenge?_ he thought. _Sure._

Life was full of them, after all. And each and every one, large and small, all carried one single message:

 _Be better. Be better than what you are now._

Perfection. Every step in life led to it. Not the absence of mistakes; that wasn't the perfection Link meant. But using your mistakes to take another rung up on the ladder. Building on them. Improving.

That's what the Chosen One had to do.

Link saw the princess staring with wide-eyed attention as the nameless Hylian spoke on. He moved to stand closer beside her. Lightning rolled across the sky.

"Let me ask you," said the stranger. "Do you know what courage is?"

 _Yes,_ thought Link. _A bug._

"Courage," the Hylian went on without waiting for an answer, "is standing up for one's beliefs. And do you know what I believe…?"

Princess Zelda slowly shook her head.

The stranger bared his teeth in a grin. "I believe that I, Zabloda, should be the Chosen One."

Another ripple of movement ran through the other Hylians. Zelda stiffened.

Link, though, simply sighed. "And why," he said, "should you, Zabloda, be the Chosen One?"

"What's the matter?" the Hylian replied. "Is that fear I hear in your mocking tone…?"

Link said nothing. The whistling wind began to pick up. Loose stones rattled across the rocky ground, then flew off the edge into the abyss below.

"Let's cut to the chase, then," said Zabloda. "Power." He licked his lips. "I was born with power. Perhaps you noticed it…?"

"You can teleport," Link replied.

Zabloda bared his teeth in a wide grin. "And I can turn invisible."

"Useful."

"Special!" the Hylian spat. "The word you want is _special._ Why? Because that's what makes me worthy of that sword you carry."

 _I don't think so, buddy._

Zabloda walked around the table. Link flexed his fingers. Now he got a good look at the other Hylians. These were no guests. Not judging by the chains binding them. Metal clinked as the wind disturbed their bonds.

"I tried to take the princess," said Zabloda, "so you'd come after me, oh Chosen One, at a time and place of my choosing. It didn't work out." He shrugged. "So I followed the two of you. You couldn't see me, obviously. But I learned so very much."

He turned back to the table to point at the Silent Princess. "You want _this._ Right?"

Link could see Zelda twitch from the corner of his eye.

"Well," Zabloda went on. "I got it first. Clearly. And then, one by one, back and forth, back at forth, teleporting all the while, I gathered m… _captive_ audience." He gestured at the watching Hylians. "One minute in this village, the next back to following you. In all that, I managed to discover this forgotten temple. It seems fate has truly blessed me – _what are you doing?!_ "

Link jolted awake with a start. He blinked away his sudden fatigue. "Sorry," he mumbled. "Standing idle for too long. Tend to drop off."

Zabloda's cheek twitched as he glared. Then, suddenly, he chuckled. "Ah," he said, wagging a finger. " _Ah!_ I know what this is. I've watched you. Watched when you couldn't see me. Oh yes, very clever. I have watched _you."_ He raised his chin. "You hide your true self behind a mask of gormless wit."

Link blinked in rapid succession.

 _Harsh…_

"But enough," growled Zabloda. Forked lightning streaked across the sky above. Still no thunder came. "I challenge you, Chosen One, to a fight to the death." He held out a palm. "And these people shall stand witness. Win, and you can free them, take your flower and –" His palm curled into a fist so he could point at the vial of liquid. "- take this antidote to cure the princess."

Link's entire being funnelled in onto the tiny bottle. That's all that mattered now.

Zabloda lowered his hand, then spoke on. "Lose, and you all die. I take the Master Sword and my true mantle as the Chosen One. What do you say? Fight? Or will these people find their faith was really in cowardly _fool_ all along?"

The insult didn't sting in the slightest. But Link could tell that it _did_ bother some of the prisoners. He stepped away from the princess – ignoring her agitated gestures – then slowly drew the Master Sword and fell into a fighting stance – weapon drawn up close to face, one hand around the hilt, the other at the base of the blade, ready to thrust.

Link's voice dropped to his much-practised growl. "Call me that to my face."

He'd said it for the prisoners. Link could see them grin with tribal pride. For Zabloda, too. Now the Hylian would think the knight had lost his cool when, in reality, he was in full control.

"Excellent!" said Zabloda as he pulled of his own blade free. The sword glowed with ancient tech. A Guardian sword, Link realised. "Now. One last thing. The Chosen One is noble. And so, I promise not to use any of my powers."

 _You're all heart, my misguided friend._

"And let's begin!"

Link's combat reflexes kicked in.

 _Never stand still._

The young knight broke into a sprint.

 _But don't dance._

He closed the gap between him and his opponent within seconds. His boots splashed in the puddles.

 _Don't hang back. Don't just feint and parry. This isn't a game. A fight never lasts long._

Zabloda swung up. Link saw lightning flash reflected in the incoming blade.

 _Strike when they strike._

Link thrust. Steel clanged as the Master Sword skewed the attack aside, then slid down the length of the other blade and came to a sudden halt when it hit the Hylian's pommel.

 _Be aggressive. Take the initiative._

With both swords still locked, Link drove his shoulder into Zabloda's chest. The Hylian staggered back.

 _Use your body. And –_

Zabloda punched him straight in the mouth.

 _And don't get punched straight in the mouth._

Link's face felt numb. He stumbled back. A hot, copper taste coated his tongue. The world seemed like it was all underwater. It was only then that he realised just how much bigger Zabloda was to him. Another punch brought Link to his knees. He lost his grip on the Master Sword. It hit the ground with a loud clang.

Another well-trained maxim rolled around Link's ringing head.

 _Size your opponent up before you engage._

One mistake was all it had taken. Link felt the sharp edge of Zabloda's blade come to rest on his neck. The ancient tech hummed. His breathing began to shudder.

 _He's bigger. But is he smarter…? Smart like the princess?_

Link's eyes dropped to the fallen Master Sword. Reflected lightning flashed in the blade's polished surface. A spark spat.

"Take it," Link said suddenly.

Zabloda's voice floated from above. "What?"

Link snapped out his arm and clutched the Master Sword. "The sacred blade," he said. "Take it. It's yours." His voice dropped so that the other Hylians didn't hear him. "Just don't hurt me."

Link heard his opponent shuffle in hesitation. Something buzzed – just for the faintest moment. Zabloda crouched. Their eyes met. Link nodded. His hand left the Master Sword.

Wary eyes on the young knight, Zabloda tentatively reached down for the sacred blade. Link did nothing. He could see the Hylian's lips twitching in a desperate attempt to hold back a smile.

Zabloda's hand curled around the hilt of the Master Sword. His eyes shone with greed as he stood. Link stood as well, taking a few steps back, then glanced over his shoulder. Princess Zelda stared, concern etched on her face. The look made something jump in Link's heart.

He turned back. The wind whistled all around them. Another spark spat. Zabloda cast his own sword aside. It toppled over the edge of the outcropping and fell silently out of sight. The Hylian only had eyes for the Master Sword. He grinned.

"You're Chosen One now," Link breathed as the princess sidled up to stand beside him. "You deserve it."

"Well," said Zabloda, his regard still not leaving the sacred blade. "I think I was wrong about you. I thought you a warrior hiding under a witless mask. Now I see you're just an idiot hiding under the mask of a warrior."

Link shrugged. Another buzz. Another spark. "Maybe," he said. "I'm a bit of both."

Lightning struck. It hit the Master Sword and ran straight through the Hylian. Zabloda screamed. He dropped the blade and stumbled backward. Link saw Zelda working away on the Sheikah Slate out of the corner of his eye. A moment later a spherical bomb of iridescent blue rolled from her hand, over the wet ground, and came to rest at the Hylian's feet. The princess gripped the Sheikah Slate hard. Her finger punched the screen –

And the bomb exploded, hurtling Zabloda off the edge.

Link released a long breath.

 _Job done._

Another day in the life of the Chosen One. The _true_ Chosen One.

Link walked over to where the Hylian fell and stood there for a moment, one hand clutching the other wrist. Finally, a peal of thunder rumbled overhead. Link, though, just gazed down. He didn't gloat. In fact, he had nothing to say. It wasn't often he got a chance to reflect on another life taken.

Princess Zelda's voice rang out from behind him. "It worked!"

Link turned to see her smiling, one hand holding the empty antidote vial, the other clutching the Silent Princess. The look on her face warmed his heart. And _that_ was worth more than all the king's gold.

The still smiling princess approached him.

"You were right," he said softly.

Zelda raised a questioning eyebrow.

Link smiled. "We do make quite the team."

She glanced back over to where the prisoners still sat huddled. "That's good," she said, then looked back. "Because I can't do this alone."

And as she walked off towards the other Hylians, Link wasn't quite sure what she was referring to.

The prisoners – releasing them and helping them back home…?

Their greater task against Calamity Ganon…?

 _Or maybe, just maybe, she means life itself…_

* * *

Princess Zelda lay on her bed in her room within Hyrule Castle. A clock ticked. The only other sound was the scratching of her quill as she wrote in her diary.

 _Bit by bit_ , she wrote, _I've gotten Link to open up to me._ Out of the corner of her eye, Zelda saw the glowing Silent Princess standing on her dresser. She still hadn't worked out exactly what it did. Her father had thus declared her little sojourn a wasted trip.

But the princess didn't think that. She'd learned a lot – about how people responded to the Chosen One; how some thought they were emulating him, and how others thought they were better. Zelda would've wondered if her knight's emotionless shell was having the opposite effect to what he desired – except she remembered the gratitude Zabloda's prisoners had shown him, how safe they felt in his presence as he escorted them silently home.

 _He's a mirror,_ she mused. _Those with a dark heart will only see that same darkness when they look upon him._

So, if that were true, then what did Zelda see about herself when she looked at Link…?

 _Well, for one thing, that I'm not suited to silence like him!_

She smiled as she finished her diary entry. _I wish to talk with him more,_ she wrote, _and to see what lies beneath those calm waters, to hear him speak freely and openly. And perhaps I, too, will be able to bare my soul to him and share the demons that have plagued me all these years._

That was the next step. Zelda snapped the diary closed. They were friends now – her and Link – and friends _shared._

A soft knock came at her door.

"My lady…?" Link's familiar, if muffled, voice came from outside. "It's time."

An instinctive grin came to Zelda's face. Link had that effect on her.

 _Maybe that's the reflection I see in him,_ she thought. _He hides his contentment well – and I long to see it rise to the surface of those same calm waters - but I know he_ _ **is**_ _content. And that makes me feel content, too. If only for a brief time…_

Princess Zelda swung her legs down off of her bed. "I'll be right there," she said.

She bounced over to the door in happiness, ready to join her knight in facing whatever the new day would bring.

 **A/N: And that's a wrap! (No, for those asking, this isn't in the same continuity as Silent Knight. Also, Silent Knight is complete! Go read it!)**

 **Split**


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